Everything Has Changed
Gaara couldn't stop thinking about her.
He returned to his hotel room on the outskirts of the village after Akemi Uzamaki's set at the bar. He could feel her lyrical heartache echoing in his ears, and down through his chest. Knowing sleep that night was completely out of the question, the Kazekage chose to settle himself on the fluffy cushioned seat of the large bay window next to the bed. The moon cast beautiful shadows on the garden paths below. The leaves of the surrounding trees gently rustled as a calm breeze danced playfully through the branches.
Although the night outside his window was peaceful and serene, nothing could quell the storm raging inside his mind. The raw and unfamiliar emotions, the painful longing he felt to see her again, and the desire he felt to get to know her better. She haunted him.
Gaara sighed irritably and began to massage his temples.
He knew damn well that he shouldn't be feeling this way, not about her. Akemi was his best friend...the HOKAGES...twin sister! To have a relationship with her would of course be seen as a political act by the citizens of both Suna and Konaha. And of course there would be talk of marriage, because that's what political advisers do...they think only of the public image.
Not to mention the relentless humiliation Kankuro would surely unleash. Gaara shook his head and growled at the very thought of his older brother taking full advantage of his emotional vulnerability.
The red head retreated to the bed and flopped down on his back in defeat. He drew a deep, cleansing breath, and proceeded to curse himself until the wee hours of the morning.
Only a few streets away from Gaara's hotel...
Akemi had declined Sakura's offer to spend the night on her couch.
"I'll be ok. I just need a nice warm bath before bed" she smiled, falsely. Sakura wasn't convinced in the least, but she shrugged and bid the purple haired girl goodnight.
"Sleep well!" the pinkette called over her shoulder. Akemi just nodded and waved.
As she closed the door behind her, she eyed the piles of boxes strewn around the bare apartment. Nothing was familiar or comforting here, and it made her reluctant to unpack...even though it had been over a month since she moved.
Akemi cholked back a sob, and she slid helplessly down to the floor. The cool of the surface subdued the heat that was beginning to build up in her cheeks as her eyes threatened to spill over with tears. She stayed in that spot until the chill of the wooden floor had all but seeped into her bones.
She trudged up the stairs into her bedroom, where she promptly slunk under the covers. Unable to hold back the tears for any longer, she cried until the sun began to creep over the tree tops, and then passed out from exhaustion.
